The present invention relates to a fine tuning mechanism for a guitar or other stringed instruments, and more particularly to a harmonic and pitch tuning mechanism which is located at the bridge of a guitar.
Musical strings are both harmonically tuned and pitch tuned. As is known to those skilled in the art, a string is harmonically tuned by adjusting its effective length. It is pitch tuned by adjusting its tension.
It is convenient to describe the present invention in relation to a guitar, although the invention is applicable to other stringed instruments. The main components of a guitar are the body, the peg head, and the elongated neck which extends between the body and the head. The strings extend, essentially in parallel spaced relation to one another, between a bridge located on the body and the head of the guitar. It is also common to anchor or clamp one end of a string on the body, usually at the bridge. The other end of the string is received on a respective tuning peg, located on the head, which pulls the string to adjust its tension. The tuning pegs are the primary means for pitch tuning.
The effective string length, which figures in harmonic tuning, is the length of the intermediate section of the string which extends uninterruptedly between the two connection points on the guitar.
In many guitars, these connection points include a nut element located on the neck near the head and a second point located on the bridge of the guitar. To harmonically tune the guitar, these points are moved closer or farther apart as required.
The present invention provides a tuning mechanism for fine tuning a string by changing string length and/or string tension. The mechanism is located at the bridge of the guitar. Furthermore, it is very accessible, easy to use and can be implemented economically.
A fine tuning mechanism is described in U.S. Pat. No. 4,497,236 to Rose. Rose discloses a series of fine tuning elements arranged on a base. Each fine tuning element includes a forward block element and a rear block element. The rear block element is pivotally secured to the forward block element and pivots about an axis which is parallel to the base. As the rear block element is pivoted, the tension of a guitar string which is attached to the rear block element changes. In addition, the position of the blocks on the base can be moved forward and backward within a limited range to provide harmonic tuning capability.
In another known mechanism, each fine tuning element is a saddle which is movable back and forth on the base of the bridge to tension or relax the string which is attached to one end of the saddle. The other end of the bridge saddle is connected to the threaded shank of an adjusting screw. The head of the screw is connected to a peripheral edge of the base. The string, bridge saddle and adjusting screw extend essentially in line so that by rotating the screw, the bridge saddle is pulled or pushed thereby. To make the bridge saddle vertically flexible, the bridge saddle is not directly clamped or secured to the base. Because the sole connection to the base is through the adjusting screw, the head of the screw becomes a fulcrum point about which the saddle can vibrate. Although vertical flexibility provides certain advantages, the vibration of prior art structures during play reduces the overall accuracy and fidelity of the sounds that are produced.